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Over your threshold: mony is your fuit;
What should I say to you? should I not say,
Hath a dog mony? is it possible,
A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whisp'ring humbleness,
Say this, fair Sir, you spit on me laft Wednesday,
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these curtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies ?

Anth. I'am as like to call thee so again,
'To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this mony, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend?) (4)
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou may'st with better face
Exact the penalty.

Shy. Why, how you storm ?
I would be friends with you, and have your love;
Forget the shames that you have flain'd me with;
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind I offer.

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I show;
Go with me to a Notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum, or fums, as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit

(4) A breed of barren Metal.) Meaning, Mony at Ufury, Mony that breeds more, as Mr. Pope explains it, Consonant to this Phrafe, the Latines explain'd Interest thus; Fanus, fætum accepti: and the Greeks call'd it τόκος: both which Expressions take in our Poet's Idea of a Breed. As for the Contradiction betwixt breed and barren, it is a poetical Beauty in which Claudian, among the Classics, particularly abounds,

Be

Be nominated for an equal pound

Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body it shall please me.
Auth. Content; in faith; I'll feal to such a bond,

And say, there is much kindness in the Jew.
Baff. You shall not feal to fuch a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity,

Anth. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it;
Within these two months (that's a month before
This bond expires) I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abraham, what these christians are!
Whose own hard dealings teach them to suspect
The thoughts of others! pray you, tell me this,
If he should break his day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture ?
A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not so estimable or profitable,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;
And for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal unto this bond.
Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the Notary's,
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purse the ducats strait;
See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

[Exit.

This Hebrew will turn christian; he grows kind.
Baf. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no dismay;
My ships come home a month before the day. (Exeunt.

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ACT II.

SCENE,

BELMONT.

Enter Morochius, a Tawny-Moor, all in white; and three or four Followers accordingly; with Portia,

M

Nerissa, and her train. Flourish Cornets.

MOROCHIUS.

ISLIKE me not for my complexion,
The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.

Bring me the faireft creature northward born,
Where Phœbus' fire scarce thaws the isicles,
And let us make incifion for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.
I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I swear,
The best regarded virgins of our clime
Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to fteal your thoughts, my gentle Queen.

Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led

By nice direction of a maiden's eyes :
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary chusing.
But if my father had not scanted me,
And hedg'd me by his wit to yield myself
His wife, who wins me by that means I told you;
Yourself, renowned Prince, then stood as fair,
As any comer I have look'd on yet,

For my affection.

Mor. Ev'n for that I thank you;
Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets
To try my fortune. By this scimitar,
That flew the Sophy and a Persian Prince,

That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,

I would

I would out-stare the sternest eyes that look,
Out-brave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking cubs from the she bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, lady. But, alas the while!
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand:
So is Alcides beaten by his page; (5)
And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
Miss that, which one unworthier may attain;
And die with grieving.

Por. You muit take your chance,
And either not attempt to chuse at all,
Or swear, before you chuse, if you chuse wrong,
Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage; therefore, be advis'd.

Mor. Nor will not; therefore, bring me to my chance. Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner

Your hazard shall be made.

(5) So is Alcides beaten by bis Rage.] Tho' the whole Set of Editions concur in this Reading, and it pass'd wholly unsuspected by the late Learned Editor; I am very well assur'd, and, I dare say, the Readers will be so too presently, that it is corrupt at Bottom. Let us look into the Poet's Drift, and the Hiftory of the Persons mention'd in the Context. If Hercules (fays he) and Lichas were to play at Dice for the Decifion of their Superiority, Lichas, the weaker Man, might have the better Cast of the Two. But how then is Alcides beaten by his rage? The Poet means no more, than, if Lichas had the better Throw, fo might Hercules himself be beaten by Lichas. And who was He, but a poor unfortunate Servant of Hercules, that unknowingly brought his Master the envenom'd Shirt, dipt in the blood of the Centaur Neffus, and was thrown headlong into the Sea for his pains? This one Circumstance of Litbas's Quality known sufficiently afcertains the Emendation, I have substituted of page instead of rage. It is scarce requifite to hint here, it is a Point so well known, that Page has been always us'd in English to fignify any Boy-Servant: as well as what latter Times have appropriated it to, a Lady's Trainbearer.

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Mor. Good fortune then,
To make me blest, or cursed'st among men!

Laun.

SCENE changes to Venice.

Enter Launcelot alone.

[Cornets. [Exeunt.

Certainly, my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my mafter. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My confcience says, no; take heed, honeft Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run; scorn running with thy heels. Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend; for the heav'ns rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's fon, cr rather an honest woman's fon (for indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to; he had a kind of taste.)- - well, my confcience says, budge not; budge, says the fiend; budge not, fays my confcience; confcience, say I, you counsel ill; fiend, say I, you counfel ill. To be rul'd by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counsel me to ftay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel; I will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

Enter old Gobbo, with a basket.

Gob. Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's?

Laun. O heav'ns, this is my true begotten father, who being more than sand-blind, high gravel-blind, knows me not; I will try confufions with him.

Geb.

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